Selecting a Spill Kit in 5 Easy Steps

Choosing a Spill Kit may seem like a daunting task. With many choices available, how do you recognise which spill kit will be the best one for your needs? Discovering the best solution really isn't as tricky as it may look. By responding to the following questions, you should be able to narrow down the options to a few kits that will be suitable for your situation.
1. What liquids will you be absorbing?
Choosing a spill kit with absorbents designed to draw up both water and oil-based liquids when reacting to an oil spill on water can be a pricey mistake. Besides, having a spill kit ready with limited compatibility when responding to a highly corrosive liquid may leave behind an unwanted chemical reaction. By knowing which liquids & solvents are utilised in your installation, you can determine the correct variety of kit to fulfill your needs.
There's 3 sorts of kits available
* Blue label - designed for spills of oils, coolants, and other water-based, non-corrosive fluids.
* Aqua label - soaks up spills of oil-based liquids only. Used for clean up of oil on water, or for response to oil-based spills in the rain or snow.
* Pink label - for spills of corrosive liquids, or for spill teams reacting to a spill of unknown origin.
2. What is the volume of your worst case scenario spill?
Determine the greatest measure of liquid that could be spilt from a single container or holding tank. If your liquids are stored in drums, this would in all likelihood be the contents of a full drum, usually either 115 or 210 litres. If you stock liquid in totes, consider the volume of your biggest tote - normally anywhere from 760 to 1900 litres.
Remember, that it may not always be functional to absorb the entire contents of a spillage, particularly if it is a significant one. Spill kits can be used in conjunction with non-absorbent dikes and drainage covers, like Spillblocker Dike and Drainblocker Drain Covers which help channel or hold liquids, so that they can be retrieved with vacuums or pumps. After a bulk of the liquid has been taken away, absorbents can then be applied to take away the residue of the spill.
3. Define the best container for your location
Some companies choose to locate spill kits in every last region disposed to spills, such as loading docks, barrel storage areas, dispensing stations and waste fluid collection stations. Others choose to have one or two kits that can be channeled to the area where a liquid is spilled. There are kits for all alternatives.
Small spill kits have handles that make them easy to take to the place of a spill. Dollies and wheeled containers are available to make larger kits portable. Several kits can even be transported with a forklift. When selecting these options, it is critical to acknowledge the physical limitations of your spill reaction squad, as well as the terrain they must cover to get to a spill. A spill kit on casters, weighing 40 kilos will be fundamental for a spill within a storage warehouse, but may not be the best option for individuals to take a long distance over rough ground.
Then Again, if siting spill kits in every last spill inclined area, you may want to consider wall-mounted kits for smaller spills or a spill reaction centre for heavier spills. When selecting kits for close areas, such as the cab of a tractor, a stowaway or bagged kit is likely the safest choice.
4. Do you need any Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)?
The mixture of liquids that have the potential to produce a spill is vast. Spill responders also come in all shapes and sizes. Because of these two factors, manufacturers do not supply PPE with their kits, because a spill kit that comprises the incorrect gloves or the wrong size suit isn't going to do you a lot of good in an already stressful situation. Manufacturers do, nonetheless, provide space in their kits for PPE to be supplied. This helps ensure that workers will be properly protected, and the right equipment will be promptly available.
5. Do you already possess a cabinet or container for your kit?
There is no regulation that differentiates what a spill kit must have, or what the container must appear like. If you already own a storage cabinet in an area where you'd like to put a spill kit, or if you have old spill kit containers that just require to be restocked, nearly all spill kits have refills available. Merely select a refill dependent on your absorbency requirements and store it in the container or locker already at your installation.
Still need help? If you want to learn more about Spill Kits and their applications for safety, New Pig Ltd based in the UK manufacture a wide range of spill kits and spillage products for industrial and commercial applications. They can be contacted via their website at http://www.newpig.co.uk